In Our Mothers' House
Artist: Patricia Polacco
Year: 2012
Date of Action: May 2012
Region: North America
Location: Davis County, Utah
Subject: Sexual/Gender Orientation
Medium: Literature
Confronting Bodies: Davis County School Board
Description of Artwork: The children's novel features a family with two mothers.
The Incident: The Davis County School District purchased the book in order to make the library selection more inclusive, particularly to reflect on a student who attended Windridge Elementary school had two mothers. After one kindergarten student checked it out and took it home, however, that student's parents raised a complaint. The librarians offered to move the book, which is targeted at a pre-reading audience, to the grades 3 through 6 section of the library, but the parents were unsatisfied with the compromise and delivered a 25-signature complaint to the school board. [1] A 7-member committee of teachers, administrators and parents was formed to decide the book's appropriateness for the children's library.
Results of Incident: The committee decided that the book "didn't align with district curriculum standards," and was placed behind the counter at the library. Students now must bring a permission slip signed by their parents in order to check it out.
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